Whitby is a wonderful location for walking. Whether along the wind-swepped coastline, or inland following the ancient trails and footpaths, you'll find stunning scenery in all directions. For experienced walkers, the Cleveland Way offers plenty of scope for cliff-top walks of any length. The Cleveland Way winds it's way from the market town of Helmsley, out to the North Yorkshire coast at Saltburn-by-the-Sea and then follows the cliff-tops all the way to Filey. From Whitby it can easily be followed to the north, through Sandsend and onwards to Staithes. To the south it passes through picturesque Robin Hood's Bay and then on to Scarborough.
For more family-friendly walking the Cinder Track is a great option. Heading south from Whitby, the Cinder Track follows the route of the old railway line, passing through Hawsker, Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar before finishing in Scarborough. The first few miles from Whitby to Stainsacre have recently been resurfaced, making them the perfect choice for families with young children, even when the weather's bad.
And for those who want to find themselves surrounded by dramatic moorland, the North York Moors offers a wealth of options for walkers. Choose any of the Esk Valley villages, or those further out across the Moor towards Pickering and you'll not be short of options. Goathland is a fantastic location for a wide range of walks. Stick to the footpaths around the village, or venture further afield perhaps visiting the Roman Road at Wheeldale Beck or the Mallyan Spout Waterfall.
Here are our recommended walks around Whitby:
January
This walk is about 6 miles long and will take around 2 hours to complete. It’s half on the Cinder Track, which is relatively flat and accessible but can be muddy in places. The return leg is along the road between Hawsker and Whitby Abbey. It’s a quiet lane generally, but you’ll need to watch out for cars.
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January
This walk takes around 2 hours to complete, at a leisurely pace. As the terrain can be quite hard-going in places - especially if it’s rained recently. It’s about 5km in length, or 3.5 miles. There are plenty of things to see, and some amazing views of the coastline. I think it’s best walked clockwise - as described below. However, there’s no reason not to tackle it the other way around.
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January
Mulgrave woods is privately-owned woodland near Sandsend. It runs inland, running along the valley which lies below the village of Lythe. The woodland is owned and managed by Muglrave Estate. They have created a network of footpaths and trails within the woods. These paths provide plenty of options for walks - from a leisurely amble to a lengthier circular walk.
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January
This circular walk is around 4.5 miles in length, and takes about 1 1/2 hours to complete. It is partly on urban footpaths, and partly on a footpath which follows the railway line. It’s quite easy going, but because of the footpath section is not suitable for prams, or bikes.
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June
This is a lovely circular walk. It’s about 5 miles in total, but could be shortened either by taking a more direct route back towards Whitby from Raithwaite Estate, or by getting the bus back from Sandsend.
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